The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-04-15
IN SKYLAND
AMONG TIE CLOUDS AND
MOUNTAIN PEAKS OF
ASHEEILLE, u 6.
Special Correspondence Atlantis Constitution. ).
[coNcEUDED FROM YEsqERDAY.l
Special Correspondence Atlantis Constitution. ]
[coNcruDED FROM YEsrERDAY.l
Public Sentiment.
HOW THE GOOD PEOPLE OF AsHEvILLE
STAND UP TO THEIR TOWN.

LII 10 SOIQOul OuC rAllNc stlOdG = OF
thusiastic people than those i
AsheviIle. Every man in this con
lmnnity takes it upo.F ssin1self a
a sworn duty to swear ~ the towr
and the beauty of itall is, they hav
something to back them. It ha
been my pleasure to have a numbe
ofcasual talks with leading citizen
here, and I hereW ith present them:
AsHEvILLE's FINANCIAL CONDITION.
Concerning the financial .condi
ton of Asheville as city. Capt
VIM. E. Breese was asked:
"What is the general fnancia
condition of Asheyille?'
Capital readily finds employ
ment at 8 and 10 per cent. Th,
supply does not meet the demand.
What is the total amount of cap
ital here?"
"Our banking capital, paid in, in
ciuding surplus fund, is $250,00O
Personal capital reaches the mill
lions. Some of the banks are heav'
lily backed by the stock holders
The First National represents ovel
$40, 100000 in it's personnel. l re-
gret that / am not informed of the
backing o. the others, butit is un-
doubtedly large"
What a. Jour most urgent de.
mands in building up Asheville2';
"Better railroad facilities. The
bottling up of the Spartanburg and
Asheville railroad by Western N. c.
railroad is a serious drawback. The
absence of western and northwest.
ern connections is a subject of daily
comment and criticism by the
hosts of visitors who deplore the
delays at Knoxville and Norris
town, and the lack of through
sleepers and parlor cars. The trav-
cling public of the lake states nat
urally seek this section; the proper
ton of visitors is one to thee COM
pared with the north and east,
whereas, as I amcredisiy informed,
the reverse should obtain. With
quick through connections, CONS
Portable cars, such as the northern
and northwestern travelling public
are accustomed to, travel here would
be treLled, and the beauties and re-
sources of this untry opened
"What is the condition, financial
ly, of your merchants ?"
"None of them to speak of are
wealthy. The majority are self
made men, who have earned what
they have got by close attention to
business and rigid economy. AS
buyers they are shrewd and close,
and not likely to over-stock them
selves. AS sellers they are atten-
tive, know their goods and how to
place them, making but few bad
debts. Their credit is high, and
their standing as q class beyond
question. Trade is very fairly and
distributed, and there are
no great monopolists to the exclu>
sion OF smaller men. Competition
is close"
about what is the estimated
amount of business done in Ashe-
vile yearly?"
IA very close and careful estimate
merchandise business to be
SO, 3,7O0,O0Oto 100000 per annum
and steadily increasing; the hotel
and boarding house to be 100000
to 100000, Say total of $780,
OOO."
How has the general trade of the
city grown within the past two or
three years ?"
"The retail trade is on steady
and rapid increase. Asheville is a
great distributing center for radius
of miles, supplying satisfactorily all
the wants of the csuatry trade
The. local demand Is large; the
class of goods most called for are Of
superior quality and workmanship.
Fine clothing, shoes and underwear
are specially. Staple, choice anC
fancy groceries are among the lead,
ing features
"As tobacco market, for bright
tobaccos, she is unrivaled. Thit
interest promises to outstrip all th,
others. The sales in 1884 5, Octo.
Der to October, were $780, 900. Ii
1855 81, ,355, ,587, and in 1867, W
to April l, $3,O56, ,842, leaving sil
months more to work in, in which
the sales will reach at least 5000,
900 pounds. The warehouses ar
ably managed, giving entire salts
faction to the farmers. The manufac
tories produce the be tgrade ofsmok
ing tobaccos in the state They ara no
as well advertised as those of othe
points, due, in measure to the com
paratively new industry. Fhe ma
terial used is A No. /, the prepare
ton honest. The large foatln,
population of wealthy visitors dis
criminate closely. and their patron
age lisa decided factor in the earning
of our dealers in dry goods and kir
dred commodities. .
"What do you consider the out
look, and on what do you pin you
faith to Asheville2"
II. The faith of the people
themselves and the knowledge ths
we possess an unriValed climate an
q bracing atmosphere in which